diff --git a/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/magnitude.h b/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/magnitude.h
index 4cb50ed1..7159effc 100644
--- a/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/magnitude.h
+++ b/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/magnitude.h
@@ -234,8 +234,6 @@ template<auto M>
 template<auto M>
 [[nodiscard]] consteval auto remove_positive_power(magnitude<M> m);
 
-inline constexpr symbol_text base_multiplier(u8"× 10", "x 10");
-
 template<std::intmax_t Base, std::intmax_t Pow>
   requires detail::gt_zero<Base>
 [[nodiscard]] consteval Magnitude auto mag_power_lazy();
@@ -316,6 +314,31 @@ struct magnitude_base<magnitude<H, T...>> {
   }
 };
 
+template<auto num_value, auto den_value>
+[[nodiscard]] consteval auto ratio_txt()
+{
+  if constexpr (den_value == 1)
+    return detail::regular<num_value>();
+  else
+    return detail::regular<num_value>() + symbol_text("/") + detail::regular<den_value>();
+};
+
+template<auto num, auto den, auto exp10>
+[[nodiscard]] consteval auto magnitude_text_impl()
+{
+  constexpr auto num_value = get_value<std::intmax_t>(num);
+  constexpr auto den_value = get_value<std::intmax_t>(den);
+
+  if constexpr (num_value == 1 && den_value == 1 && exp10 != 0) {
+    return symbol_text("10") + detail::superscript<exp10>();
+  } else {
+    if constexpr (exp10 == 0)
+      return ratio_txt<num_value, den_value>();
+    else
+      return ratio_txt<num_value, den_value>() + symbol_text(u8" × 10", " x 10") + detail::superscript<exp10>();
+  }
+}
+
 }  // namespace detail
 
 
@@ -426,37 +449,28 @@ private:
 
   [[nodiscard]] friend consteval auto _magnitude_text(magnitude)
   {
-    constexpr auto exp10 = _extract_power_of_10(magnitude{});
-
-    constexpr Magnitude auto base = magnitude{} / detail::mag_power_lazy<10, exp10>();
-    constexpr Magnitude auto num = _numerator(base);
-    constexpr Magnitude auto den = _denominator(base);
-    // TODO address the below
-    static_assert(base == num / den, "Printing rational powers, or irrational bases, not yet supported");
-
-    constexpr auto num_value = get_value<std::intmax_t>(num);
-    constexpr auto den_value = get_value<std::intmax_t>(den);
-
-    if constexpr (num_value == 1 && den_value == 1 && exp10 != 0) {
-      return detail::base_multiplier + detail::superscript<exp10>();
-    } else if constexpr (num_value != 1 || den_value != 1 || exp10 != 0) {
-      auto txt = symbol_text("[") + detail::regular<num_value>();
-      if constexpr (den_value == 1) {
-        if constexpr (exp10 == 0) {
-          return txt + symbol_text("]");
-        } else {
-          return txt + symbol_text(" ") + detail::base_multiplier + detail::superscript<exp10>() + symbol_text("]");
-        }
-      } else {
-        if constexpr (exp10 == 0) {
-          return txt + symbol_text("/") + detail::regular<den_value>() + symbol_text("]");
-        } else {
-          return txt + symbol_text("/") + detail::regular<den_value>() + symbol_text(" ") + detail::base_multiplier +
-                 detail::superscript<exp10>() + symbol_text("]");
-        }
-      }
-    } else {
+    if constexpr (magnitude{} == magnitude<1>{}) {
       return symbol_text("");
+    } else {
+      constexpr auto exp10 = _extract_power_of_10(magnitude{});
+      if constexpr (detail::abs(exp10) < 3) {
+        // print the value as a regular number (without exponent)
+        constexpr Magnitude auto num = _numerator(magnitude{});
+        constexpr Magnitude auto den = _denominator(magnitude{});
+        // TODO address the below
+        static_assert(magnitude{} == num / den, "Printing rational powers, or irrational bases, not yet supported");
+        return detail::magnitude_text_impl<num, den, 0>();
+      } else {
+        // print the value as a number with exponent
+        // if user wanted a regular number for this magnitude then probably a better scaled unit should be used
+        constexpr Magnitude auto base = magnitude{} / detail::mag_power_lazy<10, exp10>();
+        constexpr Magnitude auto num = _numerator(base);
+        constexpr Magnitude auto den = _denominator(base);
+
+        // TODO address the below
+        static_assert(base == num / den, "Printing rational powers, or irrational bases, not yet supported");
+        return detail::magnitude_text_impl<num, den, exp10>();
+      }
     }
   }
 };
diff --git a/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/unit.h b/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/unit.h
index 2bbbb67d..b5ed5837 100644
--- a/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/unit.h
+++ b/src/core/include/mp-units/framework/unit.h
@@ -830,16 +830,13 @@ template<typename CharT, std::output_iterator<CharT> Out, auto M, typename U>
 constexpr Out unit_symbol_impl(Out out, const scaled_unit_impl<M, U>& u, const unit_symbol_formatting& fmt,
                                bool negative_power)
 {
-  if constexpr (M == mag<1>) {
-    // no ratio/prefix
-    return unit_symbol_impl<CharT>(out, u.reference_unit, fmt, negative_power);
-  } else {
-    constexpr auto mag_txt = _magnitude_text(M);
-    out = copy<CharT>(mag_txt, fmt.encoding, out);
-
-    if constexpr (space_before_unit_symbol<scaled_unit<M, U>::reference_unit>) *out++ = ' ';
-    return unit_symbol_impl<CharT>(out, u.reference_unit, fmt, negative_power);
-  }
+  *out++ = '[';
+  constexpr auto mag_txt = _magnitude_text(M);
+  out = copy<CharT>(mag_txt, fmt.encoding, out);
+  if constexpr (space_before_unit_symbol<scaled_unit<M, U>::reference_unit>) *out++ = ' ';
+  unit_symbol_impl<CharT>(out, u.reference_unit, fmt, negative_power);
+  *out++ = ']';
+  return out;
 }
 
 template<typename... Us, Unit U>
diff --git a/test/static/unit_symbol_test.cpp b/test/static/unit_symbol_test.cpp
index 38048470..c861dd68 100644
--- a/test/static/unit_symbol_test.cpp
+++ b/test/static/unit_symbol_test.cpp
@@ -110,19 +110,29 @@ static_assert(unit_symbol(zebi<bit>) == "Zibit");
 static_assert(unit_symbol(yobi<bit>) == "Yibit");
 
 // scaled units
-static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<100> * metre) == "× 10² m");
-static_assert(unit_symbol<unit_symbol_formatting{.encoding = ascii}>(mag<100> * metre) == "x 10^2 m");
-static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<60> * second) == "[6 × 10¹] s");
-static_assert(unit_symbol<unit_symbol_formatting{.encoding = ascii}>(mag<60> * second) == "[6 x 10^1] s");
-static_assert(unit_symbol(mag_ratio<1, 18> * metre / second) == "[1/18] m/s");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<100> * metre) == "[100 m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol<unit_symbol_formatting{.encoding = ascii}>(mag<100> * metre) == "[100 m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<1000> * metre) == "[10³ m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag_power<10, 3> * metre) == "[10³ m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol<unit_symbol_formatting{.encoding = ascii}>(mag<1000> * metre) == "[10^3 m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<6000> * metre) == "[6 × 10³ m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<6> * mag_power<10, 3> * metre) == "[6 × 10³ m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol<unit_symbol_formatting{.encoding = ascii}>(mag<6000> * metre) == "[6 x 10^3 m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<10600> * metre) == "[10600 m]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag<60> * second) == "[60 s]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag_ratio<1, 18> * metre / second) == "[1/18 m/s]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag_ratio<1, 1800> * metre / second) == "[1/1800 m/s]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(mag_ratio<1, 18000> * metre / second) == "[1/18 × 10⁻³ m/s]");
+static_assert(unit_symbol<unit_symbol_formatting{.encoding = ascii}>(mag_ratio<1, 18000> * metre / second) ==
+              "[1/18 x 10^-3 m/s]");
 
 // common units
-static_assert(unit_symbol(get_common_unit(kilo<metre>, mile)) == "EQUIV{[1/25146] mi, [1/15625] km}");
-static_assert(unit_symbol(get_common_unit(kilo<metre> / hour, metre / second)) == "EQUIV{[1/5] km/h, [1/18] m/s}");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(get_common_unit(kilo<metre>, mile)) == "EQUIV{[1/25146 mi], [1/15625 km]}");
+static_assert(unit_symbol(get_common_unit(kilo<metre> / hour, metre / second)) == "EQUIV{[1/5 km/h], [1/18 m/s]}");
 static_assert(unit_symbol(get_common_unit(kilo<metre> / hour, metre / second) / second) ==
-              "EQUIV{[1/5] km/h, [1/18] m/s}/s");
+              "EQUIV{[1/5 km/h], [1/18 m/s]}/s");
 static_assert(unit_symbol(get_common_unit(kilo<metre> / hour, metre / second) * second) ==
-              "EQUIV{[1/5] km/h, [1/18] m/s} s");
+              "EQUIV{[1/5 km/h], [1/18 m/s]} s");
 
 // derived units
 static_assert(unit_symbol(one) == "");  // NOLINT(readability-container-size-empty)